Learn Late Cornish Bit by Bit 51 (Pronunciation 4)

A Bit About Pronunciation 4

Place names[1] (and surnames) which are based on the Cornish language have acquired English spelling[2] which give clues to Late Cornish pronunciation of the original[3], e.g.

glas                                                    green

related place names include

Goonlaze (Goon Las)                     green downs

Lusty Glaze (Lostyn Glas)              little green tail of land (possibly)     

Borlase (Borlas) (also a surname)         green hummock 

Carclaze (Crug Las)                        green barrow

Carnclaze (Carn Glas)                    green/grey tor

Ellenglaze (Elyn Glas)                    green Elyn (stream name, “bend”)

Hallaze (Hallas)                               green marsh

Polglase (Polglas)                           blue/green pool

Polglaze (Polglas)                           blue/green pool

           

crib (f)                                              a comb, a crest, a reef

                                   

related place names include

Carn Greeb (Carn Grib)                  crest/reef crag

Carn Gribba (Carn Grib)                 crest/reef crag

Greeb Point (an Gryb)                     the crest/reef

Gribba Point (Carn Gryb)                crest/reef crag

Polcrebo (Polcrybow)                     pool by crests/ridges

---

[1] see A Concise Dictionary of Cornish Place-Names by Craig Weatherhill, Evertype 2009 and  Place Names in Cornwall and Scilly by Craig Weatherhill, Wessex Books 2005

[2] also Modern Cornish spelling

[3] This is in addition to the phonetic spelling given by Edward Lhuyd.